The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the best allied airplanes of WWII and with more than 15,000 produced, the volume shows it. A light bomber, a capable ground attack plane, and a good fighter as well, the P-47 was really a triple threat and it had the horsepower to compete because of its Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. That sucker made 2,000hp depending on the tune up and it was more than a match for many of its enemies. That 2,000hp is useless without some props to move air, though. That’s where this story really gets good.
As proof of the statement that we always make about the idea of cool junk laying in corners of warehouses all over the country, that’s exactly where these props were located. The propellers were found and sent in for a cleaning and a refurbishment. We do not know how you refurbish a propellor but anything that had been sitting since the WWII era needs a once over before you bolt it to your restored P-47 and have it fall out of the sky because of a failed prop.
Here a sample from the eBay ad:
These were found in the back of a 70 year old warehouse which was once owned by a WWII Pilot. This old warehouse had a number of WWII era aircraft parts in it including these prop blades. They were acquired and sent out for inspection. The blades were found to be in good condition and consequently were overhauled and certified in 2011 by San Antonio Propeller Company. As you can see in the photos, they are packed for long time storage and for shipping to prevent damage. I unpacked one of them to take the photos to show the condition. if you wish to come and inspect them, they can be seen in Dallas, Texas.
Link: We found refurbished props from a WWII P-47 Thunderbolt for sale on eBay
My Dad was a crew chief on these,probably repaired/replaced a few
What a find for a man cave